(Spirit Lake)– Authorities say what could have been a tragedy was averted Monday in Orleans.
The Spirit Lake Fire Department was called around 3:30 p.m. to a report of a possible house fire at 13674 253rd Avenue on the southeast side of Big Spirit Lake.
Upon arriving, Fire Chief David Kollasch says firefighters found smoke coming out of some vents on the house. Kollasch says there was no actual fire, but the house was full of smoke.
Upon investigating, Kollasch says they determined the smoke was coming from a mattress near a space heater. He says firefighters removed the mattress, extinguished it, and ventilated the house.
Kollasch says a few minutes more and there could have been a pretty bad fire.
He says the smoke was discovered by some workers installing sheet rock in the house, which was in the process of being remodeled.
No injuries were reported.
Spirit Lake firefighters were on the scene about 45 minutes.
Kollasch reminds everyone to keep flammable materials away from furnaces, water heaters and space heaters.
